INSIGHTS
3 ways gamified simulation training will help your retail staff exceed customer expectations

Shoppers who have a positive customer experience are likely to spend a whopping 140% more than customers who report a negative experience, according to Deloitte.

Shoppers who have a positive customer experience are likely to spend a whopping 140% more than customers who report a negative experience, according to a study by professional services company Deloitte1. So how do you go about delivering a stellar shopping experience – and get customers parting with their cash?

Well, we believe staff must:

1. Bring their A game to the salesfloor

Customers rightly expect instore and online staff to be product experts. Our work with Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH) shows how knowledgeable staff can drive sales (see results below).

2. Become brand ambassadors

Your staff must amplify your brand, from how they look and sound to your company values. Yep, it’s the whole shopping experience.

3. Have techy know-how

Staff need to be tech whizzes, including understanding new till systems and eCommerce software, to help streamline the customer journey – and get that till ringin’.

BSH: What game-based solutions can do for you

Game-based solutions offer engaging, fun, and above all, impactful retail training solutions. Each solution is developed to meet the exact needs of your business and brand.

Using game-based training here’s what appliance manufacturer BSH achieved:

26.2%

increase in appliance sales

93%

improvement in product knowledge

Improved understanding of how to handle interactions with a variety of customer types, such as busy families and tech-savvy double-income, no-kids households

1. Bring their A game to the salesfloor

Customers expect high quality service. They also expect retail associates to have in-depth knowledge of the products or services including any new launches, offers and changes.

Attensi’s flexible simulation training can be altered and updated as many times as you need to accommodate any business changes or new product launches. Each training module is designed to have bitesize learning content within it. Game-based learning challenges your associates to learn by doing in a range of realistic tasks and interactive customer scenarios.

Throughout each training module, players can learn invaluable customer service skills including picking up on non-verbal cues, identifying opportunities for upselling or developing their ability to make tailor-made recommendations to customers. After all, it’s that personal touch that keeps people coming back time and time again.

Learning in this fail-safe environment allows plenty of chances to make mistakes, learn from them and apply new knowledge in a practical way. By the time staff are in front of your customers, they should be fully equipped and have the confidence to deliver a high-quality, informative service.

“With Attensi SKILLS, our sales staff have fast become product experts, with measurable, significant impact on our profit margins. And with a 96% training approval rating, we know they enjoyed themselves along the way.”

Hanne Utakleiv Lorentzen

Campaign Manager | Bohus

2. Become brand ambassadors

One of the key components of creating a unified, successful team is making sure staff understand your brand. And that covers more than your products and services.

It’s the behaviour that comes with being part of your brand too. It’s how you interact with your customers, it’s the atmosphere when they come into the store, it’s the feeling they leave with.

Whether you’re a traditional in-store or eCommerce retail business, Attensi BEHAVIOUR will nurture those brand-specific behaviours to build real cultural change. Ensure your team knows how to advocate for your brand. If they love it, you can be comfortable knowing your customers will too.

Attensi BEHAVIOUR solutions are completely bespoke to meet your retail needs, allowing you to create an immersive world where we can help you bring together key areas of focus for your brand. Whether it be operational standards, customer interactions, or product knowledge, we know how to bring it all into one impactful solution.

“Knowledgeable and friendly staff, who can offer face-to-face contact and answer difficult questions, are still valued and will make customers more likely to purchase, especially when it comes to big-ticket items such as electronic and white goods.”

Thomas Antonsen

Northern Europe Head of Sell-out Management and Training Excellence | BSH Home Appliances

3.Techy know-how: Understand the latest technology

Evolving the customer experience has been a crucial part of retail over the last few years. Part of this is ensuring the technology used supports a clean and efficient customer journey.

Attensi PROCESS is just one part of your Attensi platform that is dedicated to helping your teams master the latest IT and technology in your business. Whether it’s an updated till system, eCommerce software or any additional in-store equipment, cover every base with your Attensi PROCESS simulations.

“We love speed. We love pace. And we love learning new things. And Attensi allows us to do all of them while competing with peers. And it also means I can do it wherever and whenever and that’s key to this training. You don’t have to be in a room with a trainer.”

Jodie Tate

VP Retail Ops | Asda

What is the impact of processes on learning?

In a 2020 study into workplace learning from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD), an association for human resource management professionals, their key findings saw that attitudes towards learning and development are on the right path, but there is still a gap between intent and the resources allocated.

“Though the use of technology has increased since our last survey, organisations are failing to leverage emerging technologies that would make their learning more potent and are increasingly expected in other parts of learners’ lives.” 2

At Attensi, we’ve seen first-hand how introducing process-led training drives results.

We’re excited to see what the future of retail holds. One thing’s for sure: you need training that’s going to be as flexible and as adaptable as your business. That’s where Attensi can help.

Book a demo with us today and make sure you visit us at the next Retail Week Live.

Are you ready to level up your training?

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Sources

  1. The true value of customer experiences, deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/process-and-operations/us-cons-the-true-value-of-customer-experiences.pdf
  2. CIPD. (2020) Learning and skills at work 2020. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, cipd.org/globalassets/media/comms/news/asd1learning-skills-work-report-1_tcm18-79434.pdf